Chinese Civil War and Communist Takeover

Rise of Chiang Kai-shek• Born to a middle-level royal

family Oct. 1887• Formed 1st United Front to oust

warlords• In Mar 1926 Jiang carried out a

minor coup to purge GMD• This coup removed left-wing

leaders and shifted GMD to the right

• In the summer of 1926, Jiang started the Northern Expedition

Gen. Jiang Jieshi

General and Madame Jiang

Mao Zedong1893-1976

Early Years• Born 1893 in Hunan Province to

a well to do landowning family• ‘Natural rebel’ and momma’s

boy but at odds w/father for not showing respect

• Left first wife (arranged marriage)

• Volunteer in Changsha during 1911 Revolution—felt rev did not improve China

• Moved to Beijing and became librarian at Beijing University—introduced to Marxism

Mao the Young Revolutionary• Experiences during 1911

Revolution influenced his views:– strongest survive– violence was only way to gain power– ‘All power grows out of the barrel of

a gun’– ‘A revolution is not a tea-party; it is

an act of violence, by which one class overthrows another.’

• Impressed by the methods used by the Bolsheviks

• Founding member of the CCP in 1921

• Believed in the Dialectic View—history develops through a series of class conflicts

GMD Northern Expedition • 2 goals: to conquer

warlords and CCP• In March 1927, GMD &

pro-Nationalist allies took both Nanjing & Shanghai

• On 12 April Jiang carried out a large scale anti-CCP coup in Shanghai

• By summer, coup spread to other cities and thousands of leftists had been killed

• By the end of 1928, China had been “United” under Jiang and his allied warlords against CCP

Mao Zedong & CCP Opposition • After the Northern

Expedition Jiang purged all leftists from GMD for good

• Mao Zedong () & Zhou Enlai set up Jiangxi Soviet north of Guangzhou

• In Sept 1931, after incident in Mukden, Japan gained control of Manchuria (Manchukuo)

• Jiang ignored the Japanese & focused on Mao & CCP

• 1930-1934 -- unsuccessful attempts to destroy Jiangxi Soviet

The Long March (1934-5)

• 1934 Jiang’s GMD forces destroyed the Jiangxi Soviet

• Mao joined the retreat to Yanan in Shaanxi—’The Long March’

• Less than 20K out of 100K survived

• Zunyi Meeting—Mao outmaneuvers opponents in CCP & imposes his views

According to Jiang, while the Japanese were a "disease of the

skin," the Communists were a "disease of the heart."

Nationalist soldiers leading Communist prisoners captured in fighting along the Jiangxi-Fujian border during Jiang Jieshi’s fifth "extermination campaign" of 1933-34. Even in the face of serious Japanese predation, Jiang insisted upon a policy of "unification before resistance.”

Xian Incident & 2nd United Front• During Long March, Jiang travels

to Xian to coordinate attacks on CCP.

• Zhang Xueliang, leader of GMD troops Jiang was to meet with, placed Jiang under house arrest

• Zhang wanted Jiang to make a truce with Mao & unite to fight Japanese

• Jiang released & formed 2nd United Front against Japanese w/Mao’s Red Army

• 1937—Japan attacked China—start of 2nd Sino-Japanese War

• However, for Jiang the real enemy remained the Communists

Zhang Xueliang

Jiang Jieshi

Nationalist (GMD) Situation 1945• Wartime situation

– Strategy of retreat and defense– Landlord support—oppression of

peasants – Army large and corrupt– High inflation – Surprised by speed of war’s end

• Nationalists at war's end:  – 3 million+ troops, control of

cities and most of the population, internationally recognized government

Communist Situation 1945• At war's end:

– Regular army of 500,000-900,000.

– Militia of 2 million.– 90 million people (N. China

rural).

• Guerrilla warfare strategy• Emphasis on cooperation

with peasants • Social Reforms

– Moderate policies: Land reform, stress education, welfare hygiene, & self-governance

Mao Zedong w/ Col. David Barrett of US Army Observation Group (Dixie Mission), 1944)

Post-War Mediation Attempts• Attempts at mediation and

maneuvering on both sides — 1945-1946.

• US Attempts:– August-October 1945: w/Mao & Jiang

negotiated a set of principles calling for political and military unity, and democracy.

– December 1945:  Mission by Gen. George Marshall brokered a ceasefire in Jan 1946.

– January-February 1946: Political consultative conference but came to nothing.  Complete breakdown later in year.

• Soviet Union pressured Mao to cooperate with Jiang

Civil War 1946-1949• Basic positions:

– In north, Nationalists held cities and transport lines, but defensive posture.  Communists held countryside.

– Elsewhere, Nationalist position stronger, but still much Communist guerrilla activity.

• Initial Nationalist success in NW.  Took Yan'an, with Communists moving east

• Fighting concentrated in the north – Nationalists lose Manchuria by early 1948– Most major northern cities fell in 1948 —

Beijing and Tianjin in January 1949

• Nationalists make a last stand on the Yangtze River

Fall 1948

Nationalist Offensives 1947

Fall of Nationalists and Rise of PRC—1949

• Summer of 1949 the Communists breached the Yangtze defenses and the Nationalists retreated

• By Fall of 1949 the Communists forced the Nationalists to retreat to the island of Taiwan

• 1 October 1949 Mao proclaimed the formation of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing.

• Jiang established the Republic of China on Taiwan

Mao proclaims the creation of the PRC in Beijing

“A clean sheet of paper

has no blotches, and so

the newest and most

beautiful pictures can be

painted on it.”

-Mao Zedong - 1949